Rear strut on '92 taurus *please help*

i'm workin on changing a rear passenger side strut on a 92 taurus. Im fighting with the bolt on the top of the rod coming from the strut.
I have the spring compressed and the whole thing removed from the car the bolt giving me trouble is holding the top plate on that holds the spring on the strut.
its very hard to get at, the instructions say to use a crows foot wrench to get at the nut while holding the end of the rod from the strut w/ a wrench. this is B.S.
there is no way anything like that is going to fit down in there besides a deep socket and the only way to keep the rod from turning is to grab it w/ vice grips (the instructions clearly state not to do that but that didn't stop me, I'm not worried about hurting the old strut)
I've tried my impact wrench but my compressor is under powered I just don't have the cfm's I've also soaked the thing repeditively w/ lube it hasn't had the chance to soak over night yet but that may help. my buddy said if I compress the spring enough the plate should drop down enough to get at the bolt w/an opend ended wrench but thats not the case theres a stopper holding the plate up cause the sping isn't even touching it.
any thoughts on anything I'm over looking would be appriciated, it's probably either something simple I over looked or it's some kind of ford secret trick you need a special tool for or some b.s.

If you can't use an impact wrench or a crowfoot wrench, another option is to use a Dremel to cut the nut. Aside from that, you would have to take it to a shop that can impact it off. Just a word of caution: make sure the spring is compressed sufficiently to remove all tension off the upper mount.

As your trashing the strut try a pipe wrench to hold the shaft and a 1/2 inch drive deep socket with a breaker bar. Use PB Blaster and soak over night.
Have a friend hold the pipe wrench as you use the breaker bar.

Might consider a complete assembly. They are bolt in struts. Cost is not really that much more and a whole lot less aggrevation.